Mensa Otabil - Pharoah Turns Against the People (10/07/2025)
We’re still in Exodus chapter 5, and we will look at verses 8 and 9. It says, «And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before; you shall not reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore, they cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.» This is Pharaoh’s response when Moses demanded that the people go, as God wanted them to be free. Pharaoh was very incensed by what Moses had demanded to free the Hebrews. There’s a lot to learn from this account of Scripture. You’ll learn about how Satan responds when God’s people are breaking free. You will also learn how powerful people negotiate when others want to be free. There’s much to gain from the Pharaoh-Moses encounter.
Pharaoh understood the political and economic implications of what it would mean if the Hebrews were free; it would collapse Egypt’s economy and signal to Egypt’s enemies that they were weak. Therefore, Egypt was determined that the Hebrews would not leave. So how would Pharaoh respond? He responded by attacking the people Moses wanted to free. He laid more burdens on them, making their lives more miserable. Why did he do this? Because he wanted to turn the people against Moses. If Moses wanted to free the people, he wanted them to hate Moses and link their hardship to the efforts of their liberation. Isn’t it amazing how the person trying to liberate you becomes the one most hated?
The main reason why Pharaoh decided to attack the people is that they said, «Let us go and sacrifice to our God.» That is why he responded this way. This shows you that any time you take a stand for God and want to serve Him, you will encounter spiritual resistance because your enemy does not want you to go and serve the Lord. Whenever you make a spiritual resolution, pray about something, or have a conviction to serve God, you will face spiritual resistance.
The reality is that God’s plan to set Israel free was fixed; there was nothing Pharaoh could do about it. God had told Abraham 600 years earlier that He would do this, saying, «Your descendants will be slaves in a nation, and I will take them out after a certain time.» God had said it; He had told Moses at Mount Horeb that He was going to deliver the people. This was a spiritually finished fact, and Pharaoh knew it. I suppose he realized he couldn’t stop God, but he could turn the people of God against the purposes of God, and that is something to note.
You see, what God wants to do in your life, the devil cannot stop. Your enemies cannot stop it, but they can turn you against God’s purposes. God’s purposes require your cooperation and obedience. All the enemy has to do is to get you into a state of mind where you start resisting God’s purposes and will. That’s exactly what Pharaoh is doing; he’s not fighting God but is fighting God’s people. He’s not even fighting Moses, but he is targeting the people for whom the liberty and freedom would benefit, hoping they would turn against Moses, and in doing so, turn against God. In this roundabout way, Pharaoh attempts to achieve his purposes.
That gives you insight into spiritual warfare and how it happens. The enemy cannot attack God or even the messenger of God but can attack you and turn you in such a way that you forfeit your own liberation and liberty because that is the only weapon available to him. I pray that God will open your eyes to any such maneuver against you so you don’t fall prey to the snares and tricks of the wicked one. Let us pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, help me to stand firm when my situation gets tougher and tougher. I refuse to bow to enemy attacks. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen.» Well, I trust that you have been blessed. I will catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.